CHILDREN OF alcoholic parents lead lives of “quiet desperation” and must not be ignored by the next government, Alcohol Action Ireland has said.
The charity is calling on the new government to introduce a minimum price for alcohol, curb availability and accessibility, and regulate the promotion of alcohol.
Research published last month by the Children’s Rights Alliance, which found that one in every six cases of child abuse can be attributed to alcohol, showed the serious effect parental alcohol problems had on children, Alcohol Action director Fiona Ryan said.
“As a society, we deny or ignore the impact of parental alcohol problems on children, yet these children are often leading lives of quiet desperation, unseen and unheard. They get our attention only when the most extreme cases come to light.”
Surveys conducted on behalf of Alcohol Action had found that one in 11 children felt their parents’ drinking had a negative impact on their lives.
One in 14 adults said they frequently felt afraid or unsafe as children because of parental drinking, and one in 12 adults reported witnessing alcohol-related parental conflict.
“What makes these figures even more poignant is that we know they are liable to be an underestimation due to the high levels of shame, secrecy and denial that exist in families affected by parental alcohol problems,” Ms Ryan said.
Alcohol Action is also calling for a study of the prevalence of parental alcohol problems, training for those working with children to deal with parental substance abuse and support for children of alcoholic parents.
